An Empty Room
by Emily McCartney
Summary: Twice Nick has stood in an empty room before a major turn of events flipped his life in ways he never imagined.


_Man, this room just feels bigger than mine._ It felt great having that room empty again! Kicking Schmidt's and Coach's personal gym out of the apartment was the biggest accomplishment in this vagrant's life. Nick, cringed at just the memory of the girlish and almost sexually offensive sounds that used to come from that room. _I mean, it would be one thing if I knew someone was having sex in here, but Schmidt benching is a lot worse._ Although a fourth roommate was his idea, he still didn't feel comfortable about adding another person to his life. He suggested that they wait until Winston got back from Latvia, but if they waited that would be three more months of Schmidt's girly groans and Coach's obnoxious demands.

"Hey Nick, you better be wearing pants man, we have perspective roommates coming this morning," Schmidt loudly informed.

"We are all going to agree on our choice right," Coach replied in question.

Nick met them in the hall, "That means no steamrolling Schmidt."

Schmidt perfected his offended double take, but it no longer phased either of them. Nick went back into the room just standing in the vast of emptiness of the room. He let him mind wonder about the possible roommate that would occupy this room. Maybe the roommate would be a doctor that can cure cancer or maybe the Janitor that accidentally creates the zombie virus… _Oh that would make a great plot point for my zombie novel!_

 _Clang_ "Ouch!" came from the street below. Nick ran to the window trying to catch a glimpse of the action. Below he saw the head of a brunette that couldn't figure out how the door worked. He didn't understand all that she was mumbling but he picked up something about glasses. She found the buzzer and asked to come up. _Wonder what is going on there?_

"Nick, the sink is on the fritz again," Schmidt called. The hooded handy man quietly sighed and headed towards the kitchen. His timing must've been perfect because a knock on the door stopped him midway to his destination. He opened the door to a pair of sky blue eyes that looked as lost as he felt.

"Um… I am applying for the roommate opening?" Nick just stood there not really sure what to do. Her nerves were getting the better of her as she started fidgeting and looking for something in her purse. "Am I at the right address?"

"Nick," Schmidt popped up from nowhere startling both himself and the adorable stranger. "Invite the lady in. Welcome to the loft," he smiled and grandly ushered her in. Nick just watched in fascination and horror as the lovely creature looked around scoping as if she were judging an interior design contest. Coach met Nick in his confused state and asked the question that Nick's head was screaming.

"Who's the chick?" Nick silently shrugged as an answer. Schmidt was sitting her down in Nick's chair as they all crowded around her.

"So what's your name," Nick asked the typical first question.

"Jessica Day. I'm a 6th grade teacher and I am from Portland." She seemed nervous and worried.

"Do you have any pets," Schmidt asked.

"So, you know in horror movies when the girl's like, 'Oh, my God, there's something in the basement. Let me just run down there in my underwear and see what's going on in the dark.' And you're like, 'What is your problem? Call the police.' And she's like, 'okay,' but it's too late because she's already getting murdered? Well, uh, my story's kind of like that," she started into her life story with all of us simple staring in awe of her obliviousness.

 _Oh crap!_

* * *

 _I can't believe how big the room feels when empty_... Nick looked around at the walls that once were covered in egg crates to sound proof the room, or the closet that once held sweaters he was to lazy to take back. He touched the wall where the dresser he put together for her used to stand. So many memories where in this room, most of his favorite memories were with her.

 _I missed her, what am I going to do without her_? The last month had be complete torture not having her there to vent to, or not being able to hold her during any problem she is going through. Something big must be going on with her if she ran to her Dad's! _Why didn't she just trust me with it_? Now she is gone, and didn't even give him the chance to say goodbye.

"Why don't we kill off Jessica Night in the next book?" The editor's question haunted him. That had to be the most ridiculous suggestion, second only to Schmidt saying Nick looked at him the same way he looked at Jess. _I love Jess... I could never stop loving her_.

She was the first person he opened up to in the feelings department. He lied to one of the boyfriends about being gay for her. His protective instincts were always on alert when she was involved. Ditching a party to be with her when she got stood up, standing up to Spencer to the T.V., doing a little background checking on a student that wanted to kill her, kicking a big successful black man out of her bed, and even suffering a tour of Portland when Ryan bailed on her. She has been his lifeblood from the very beginning.

"You have been in love with this girl from the moment you opened the door and laid eyes on her," is how Schmidt said it.

His own defense of her character, Jessica Night, still rang in his brain, "Jessica is the whole reason Pepperwood gets out of bed in the morning." _She is my Day and Night_ , he cringed at the snappiness of that thought but knew it was the truth of his heart. _How am I going to tell her_?

"Can someone get me in the building," cried an aggravated voice from the street. "Dog can you bark for someone?" Nick recognized the brunette hair and stumbling nature. Six years about she was a fresh face with a broken heart looking for a place to stay, now she is the girl of his dreams desperately trying to get home.

"Jess," he called to her, "wait right there. I am coming down."

 _Of course, she wouldn't obey_ , "Jess where'd you go? Jess?"

"Nick," he heard her call from above, "why are you down there? Stay right there."

"Stay right there," he called to her simultaneously. The elevator refused to move faster and his patience quickly dwindle, but just in time the bing announcing the machine's arrival sounded. Much to his dismay a delivery guy was making his way out of the elevator.

"Please hurry, I have to tell my best friend that I am in love with her." He finished his sentence with some ribbing from the obstacle he turned to face two sparkling blue eyes.

"Hey Miller."

 _That's my old lady._


End file.
